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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. drill — the tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — a practice
  7. hand — help
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cue — for pool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. club — for dancing
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. drill — army training
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. club — a group
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com